#naro my beloved….

[sadlybeans]

Curufinwë Fëanáro

son of Míriel Therindë, Lord of the Lights

(Don’t mind the repost, accidentally sent an unfinished version— also yeah I gave up on drawing/painting the silmarils)

[corvidcrowned]

who is red?

Excellent question!

This is red.

Red Namida, otherwise known as “sarai” (sara ai) is an ai duplicate of Sara Chidouin who was used in the death game simulations to get Sara’s survival rate. However, about a year into the simulation, Red and Pierrot, the ai duplicate of Anzu Kinashi, became fully self aware of their situation and began working together. The two are in love and often end up killing and dying for each other.

Red was given his new name by Michiru Namida, who was running the simulation. He considers her a mother. He also is friends with Rio Ranger, the two being “partners in crime” pulling pranks on other people within ASU-Naro. Red resents Sara, because he’s jealous. Sara has a perfect life, with loving parents and friends, and while Red has little to no memories of Sara’s life, he imagines her as a spoiled princess who is beloved by all. Needless to say the two don’t get along.

Key visual differences between the two start with Red’s, well, red eyes. He’s also an ai in a doll, so he has doll joints and a plug tail to charge. And he has a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, his canines in particular poking out even when his mouth is closed. He also has a different style when it comes to clothes, preferring darker clothes. He likes spiky accessories too. Red is also a lot messier than Sara, having messy hair and often looking like he’s recently gotten into a fight with a raccoon. He speaks vulgarly too, and has a habit of swearing a lot.

While Sara’s pronouns are she/he (my personal headcanon) Red uses he/it/bite, he/him being his favorite, and It/bite are used only by those close to him.

He struggles with identity a lot, especially with others comparing him to Sara a lot. He’s his own person, dammit!!

He also wants to be loved. Since the simulation ended, conversations with Pierrot are few and far between, since they’re in a monitor in a room that’s hard to sneak in to. Michiru is also busy with the death game coming up. He feels isolated, and having Sara be everyone’s shining star is not helping at all.

SO YEAH I HOPE THAT EXPLAINS IT A BIT……… SORRY IF YOU WERE CONFUSED. ALSO HE ONLY EXISTS IN MY HEAD(AND SOMETIMES OTHER PEOPLE THINK ABOUT HIM<3) HEHE…..

[ask-the-shorty-squad]

"If my calculations are correct.. One of my little play toys- I mean.. Remnants of Despair are still here in motion... What'd they call him..?"

"...Yayoi.. Such a hopeless creature.. He has no right to be alive... It makes me so disappointed that I could just feed him to a load of sharks.."

"Awh!!! So gory!!! So gross!!! That's be like.. The worst!!! Poor Yaoii!! He must be trembling in his wittle boots!!!"

"Puhuhuhu!!! Awh!! I can just smell the Despair on his fat-ass body!!! Ahahahaha!!!"

"I also smell the stench of new people... People to put through an agonizing amount of pain..."

"Ahahaha!!! Oh I'm drooling!!! Oh this'll be fun!!! Ahaha!!! Hahahahaha!!! All the despair!! All the tears!!! All the madness!!!"

"Hey!! Maybe I could make a whole new Killing game!!! Or maybe I could remake that Death game by Majority! And make it a billion times better than how it was before!! Instead of just four plain cards.. I'll add a fifth!! I'll call it.. The Instant death card!! So no matter the outcome that person is doomed!!! They'll die no matter what!"

A.. New Death game..?

Awh.. But it'll be so much harder since my Beloved Warriors of Hope arent here to help and serve there Big sister.. The only one who truly loved them... Who prevented them from Commiting Suicide and showing them the light..

...IN KILLING THE FUCK OUTTA THEIR PARENTS!!!!!

*Teruteru wanted to scream. He wanted to shatter the screen. His relentless urge to seek and destroy Junko and all of ASU-NARO rose as his furious rage increased. Be he knew, that at this moment, lashing out at a prerecorded message wouldn't be at any means helpful to anyone. Especially himself. So, he focused his attention to something at least a bit less infuriating and made and effort to aid Yayoi in his frightened state.*

Yao! Look at me! Remember! This is a simulation! She's not real! She's dead and gone! This isn't really her!

... Then why... do I still... hear her voice?

[sou-ver-2-0]

“Midori is Meister’s son,” and other Sou theories

I’ve had a theory for a while that Original Sou is the son of Meister, the likely Mastermind behind the Death Game. I’ve alluded to this theory before, but I haven’t made a proper post for it until now.

I came up with the theory because it’s the easiest way to put Original Sou under Meister’s power and influence. It’s the simplest explanation I can think of for why Original Sou was both an Asu-Naro member and a planned Death Game participant. That’s a strange combination of things to be, but it’s not that strange if that’s what your father raised you to be…

However, there’s more to this theory than a mere hunch. In the first two chapters of YTTD, we learn the story of the Satous: Gashu the father, Kai the human son, and Rio Ranger the doll son. I believe that the story of the Satous is foreshadowing for the story of Sou’s own family.

Gashu is a villain dedicated to the cause of Asu-Naro. He raised Kai to be an Asu-Naro agent. Part of Kai’s job was to watch over Sara, a planned Death Game candidate; he grew to care for her. Kai becomes a participant himself and is one of the Game’s first victims. After Kai dies, we are introduced to Rio Ranger, a sadistic Floor Master. He is a broken doll who wears smiling masks. Rio Ranger is similarly fated to die, and Gashu is then revealed as the father.

Let’s try changing the names in that story. Meister is the main villain behind Asu-Naro. He raised Sou Hiyori to be a top agent. While on the job, Sou developed a close relationship with Shin, a planned Death Game candidate. Sou himself is the first candidate to die, before the Game even begins. However, we meet him again in the “Graveyard of Broken Dolls” as Midori, a sadistic Floor Master who masks his cruelty behind a smile. Midori instructs the participants to kill him… Perhaps leading to a scenario where Meister will finally reveal himself.

I’ll dig into these parallels deeper beneath the cut. But before I go any further, I want to give credit to @joukester​ who came up with the “Shin was a replacement candidate for Sou” theory, which has influenced my thinking a lot. I also want to credit @novatoast​, who pointed out the important Kai parallels and many other ideas to me! I’m very grateful. While Shin is my favorite character, Sou is the character I enjoy speculating about the most. I’m excited to finally share my thoughts on the ramifications of this theory.

Some words on Meister, and the role of the Man from the Memorandum

I should be clear upfront that I think Meister is the Man from the Memorandum, the winner of the Previous Death Game, who loved and lost a “17-year-old School Girl.” I subscribe to the theory that Meister is recreating the Death Game to mold Sara into his beloved High School Girl by putting her through the same trials, and he is hoping she will win this time.

In order to make the perfect recreation, I think the other Death Game participants are also meant to fill in the previous participants’ roles. I believe that Shin fulfills the role of the “Man” himself, which was likely an antagonistic role. However, I believe that Sou was originally meant to play this antagonist role. I think that Shin’s First Trial is so unusual because it was designed to twist Shin into adopting Sou’s personality. That way, he could better play the part.

The first thing we learn about the Man is his confession, “In the first trial, I killed a person.” If Sou had survived to the Death Game, it’s possible that his First Trial would have been to literally kill Shin. Instead, Shin’s First Trial is only that “Sou” metaphorically kills “Shin.”

I want to bring up another possibility for the Man’s role; it may be a doomed role. It’s possible that even if Sou had survived to the Death Game, he might also have had a zero percent chance of survival. The worst outcome for the Mastermind may be seeing a “repeat win” for his own role. While I love the theory that Shin’s zero percent survival rate is due to his own agency (having a self-sacrificial nature), there’s a poignancy to the idea that both Sous turn to villainy out of desperation in the face of certain death. Knowing that the Game is rigged against them in favor of a teenage girl.

Perhaps, even knowing that your own father favors a strange girl over yourself.

Even if the role isn’t necessarily doomed, I think Sou Hiyori still knew more about Meister and the Death Game than any other planned participant. If Meister was Sou’s father, and Sou was serving him faithfully, wouldn’t it make sense for him to be upset that he isn’t the favored “Chosen One”? Knowing that he will someday participate in a Death Game, with a high chance of death, but his father isn’t even rooting for him?

What would that horrible knowledge do to a person?

Kai Satou and Sou Hiyori: Two Different Kinds of Stalkers

Let’s talk about the Human Sons, Kai and Sou. Kai was raised to work for Asu-Naro and he was trained to become an assassin. However, he could never kill a person, and so his ranking in the organization was low. I’m suggesting that Sou was also raised to work for Asu-Naro, but since he took on so many important jobs of manipulating participants’ lives, he was likely in good standing.

The most interesting parallel between these two agents is that they each developed an attachment to another candidate. Kai was instructed to watch over Sara, the strongest candidate, and he grew fond of her from afar. Sara never even knew his name. Although Kai had noble intentions, Sara feared him, and lived with the anxiety of having a stalker.

In contrast, Sou developed an intense, abusive relationship with Shin, the weakest candidate. Instead of keeping his distance while spying on the boy, Sou seems to have become Shin’s closest friend.

Sara and Shin share a similar trauma of feeling stalked. Watching eyes and grabbing hands haunt them.

Another clear parallel between the two stalkers is that they both left written accounts of their observations. We see Kai’s notes about Sara on his laptop, and we see Sou’s notes about Shin in his “Shin Tsukimi AI Test Data” book, to Sara and Shin’s chagrin.

Kai grew an emotional attachment to Sara in spite of his job to watch her. Now the question is, how much of Sou’s relationship with Shin was “strictly business”?

Was Sou’s interest in Shin really all for Asu-Naro? Was he instructed to form such a close relationship with the boy? Or did he also grow close to his chosen candidate in spite of his job? We can’t say for sure yet. However, the closer parallel to Kai would be that Sou’s feelings for Shin became more “personal” than “professional.” Personally, I find it likely that Sou wanted to exercise control over a vulnerable person because he didn’t feel like he had much control over his own life.

I speculate that a major difference between Kai and Sou is knowledge of their fate. I think that Sou grew up knowing that he would one day be a Death Game candidate, while Kai did not know this until the last minute. In a similar way that Shin only becomes a villain if you tell him his survival rate, I think that Kai’s innocence of his fate informed his nobler personality. Meanwhile, Sou’s knowledge of his fate could have harshened him.

How do these two men behave in the face of death?

Death: An act of resistance?

“This is... resistance. Our lives toyed with to our enemy's whims, we are unable to save even a single person... As we die off, this is... my feeble... resistance. But it is one large step... toward counterattack...! It is a step I was able to take... because you bought me time. It is surely... not futile. I entrust them to you...! Our regrets...!! Our hopes...!! I... am satisfied.”

Kai’s suicide in the First Main Game is framed as one of the most courageous acts in the story. Kai takes his life into his own hands, rather than let himself be abused by Asu-Naro a minute longer. He also uses his final words to give an inspirational speech to Sara and entrust his hopes to her. It is a heavy burden for Sara to carry, but she doesn’t have a choice. Nobody has any “easy” choices in this Game.

How does Kai’s death compare to Sou’s death? While Kai took his own life in resistance of Asu-Naro, Sou was murdered by Alice, presumably in service to Asu-Naro.

That’s certainly how it looks…

But what if? What if Sou’s early death was his own form of resistance? What if he deliberately provoked Alice to kill him, knowing that this would mess up the script? Knowing that this would make things more complicated for Meister? Is that so unthinkable?

Why would he do that?

It’s not like Sou’s life was particularly meaningful. He lived in service of an evil organization, possibly with a father who didn’t love him. His only close friendship we know of was with a helpless teenage boy, and Sou treated him terribly.

But…I’d like to share my most outrageous Sou theory, because I might as well go big or go home.

In the same way that Kai entrusted his regrets and hopes to Sara, it’s possible that Sou was entrusting his own regrets and hopes to Shin.

What I’m saying is that: it’s possible that Sou died thinking that his death would give Shin a fighting chance.

“I gave Sou to Shin. He’s already Sou by now, you see.”

This quote has always stood out to me. From our point of view, it was Shin’s own choice to take Sou’s name! Sou didn’t “give” it to him!

Unless…Sou knew that his own death would force Shin into the Antagonist Role? He might have known that his own First Trial would be to murder Shin, and he wanted to avoid that? He might have wanted Shin’s First Trial to make the young man “stronger”? He may have even liked the idea of Shin carrying on his own name and legacy?

Following this interpretation, it’s possible that Sou rationalized his abuse of Shin was “good” because it would have “prepared” the boy for the upcoming Death Game. Shin ought to learn how cruel people are. From a “friend.” If the story were to actually frame Sou’s abuse of Shin as “teaching Shin,” this would also tie into Shin AI’s line, “Though I learned a lot of things at his house.”

There’s an obvious argument against what I’ve just suggested. It comes from one of Midori’s most memorable lines.

“Since he was going to die anyway, I wanted to kill him with my own hands…”

Midori the doll says cheerfully that he wanted to kill Shin himself. That clearly shows his intentions towards Shin are purely negative. That line is not befitting someone who might have died to “help” a vulnerable person.

However, I have a counterargument for that. It’s that Sou and Midori aren’t the same person. YTTD’s narrative makes it very clear that the dolls and humans can have separate personalities, shown most clearly with Reko and Fake Reko.

And Midori doesn’t parallel Kai. He parallels Rio Ranger.

Rio Ranger and Midori: the sadistic broken dolls

Rio Ranger is an incomplete doll. His father Gashu strongly imbued him with “a strong sense of inferiority, which gave birth to jealousy and hatred.” Gashu also “discarded what [Rio Ranger] originally possessed.” “Kindness… compassion… happiness… / Nearly all of [his] positive emotions.”

I think it is possible that something similar happened to Midori. Sou’s feelings for Shin may have been more complex than simple sadistic pleasure at Shin’s pain. If Sou truly paralleled Kai, he may have had hidden “positive” emotions for Shin as well. Inconvenient, rebellious emotions that Meister would want to “discard.” Leaving Midori as the purely sadistic doll we know now.

I realize that this would be a shockingly positive development for Sou’s character if any of this is true. Original Sou is currently treated as a hate-able joke in the fandom because he is so cartoonishly evil. I feel obligated to say that nothing I’ve written would make Sou’s treatment of Shin “okay.”

And it could be that nothing I just wrote is true! I’m simply drawing parallels with Kai’s death of “resistance” and Rio Ranger’s loss of “positive emotions,” and trying to show the implications of what that could mean for Original Sou and Midori. But it could also be that Nankidai will write Original Sou’s death in an opposite way from Kai, and that Midori is more of a “broken person” instead of a “broken doll.” In fact, my favorite difference between Midori and Rio Ranger is that Ranger only knows what it’s like to be a doll, while Midori has the complex memories of human existence. Honestly, there are many ways Nankidai could approach this. I just don’t know yet.

For example, Original Sou could have even been instructed to allow Alice to kill him. I can’t discount that possibility.

Nankidai could also approach a death of “resistance” in a nuanced way. Perhaps Sou stumbled into conflict with Alice without meaning to take things so far. Like Kai, he didn’t want to die. Perhaps he escalated the tension because he was feeling more emotional than logical. Perhaps he found himself in a fight with a larger man, a fight he couldn’t win, and then he finally started rationalizing to himself that his death could still have meaning. And that meaning could have been a combination of feelings of spite for his job and obsession for his friend.

We do have evidence from Midori’s behavior that he seeks mutually assured destruction, and he even seems masochistic. This could lead to a death of “resistance” which is still very different in tone from Kai’s death.

“But I’ll try my best to make it one shot, one kill… I wanna take at least four people with me…”

“How nice hatred is… It lets me satisfy a person 100%...”

I do think that the only interesting thing to do with Midori’s character is to humanize him. He could get sympathetic traits to make him feel more realistic. I think this could even make him scarier! What’s most frightening about the character isn’t his campy villainous vibe; it’s the fact that he’s an abuser. And abusers use sympathy to get what they want.

Rio Ranger is mostly demonic in the story until we finally learn about his father, Gashu, who “puts Ranger in his place” by killing him. Something similar may happen with Midori.

Conclusions

This is getting long and I’ve already written about the most interesting potential parallels between Sou and the Satou brothers, so I’ll wrap things up.

The reason I find Sou/Midori so fascinating is because he is a man of many contradictions. He is a participant and floor master, alive and dead, aggressor and victim. He could be a victim within the cycle of abuse himself, if they develop his relationship with Meister as much as I’m speculating.

Even if my theories and conclusions are wrong, the parallels between Sou Hiyori and the Satou brothers still exist. We have two Asu-Naro agents who developed an attachment to a candidate before becoming early victims. We have two “broken” sadistic doll floor masters. I feel instinctively that these parallels must mean something. I want to think that the parallels mean that Sou could have a father figure, similar to Gashu, and the most likely candidate is Meister. We can also use these parallels to infer how Sou/Midori could be written to be a more complex character.

Thank you for reading!! @ Nankidai good luck writing this bastard.

[beanieman]

3B Shin/Alice Lives Route Live Play

So I recorded my thoughts here as I played the game. Here they are!

Warning: I swear and yell in all caps a lot. 

Mr.Policeman had a son. Are we getting Mr.Policeman is Joe’s Dad theory confirmed??? 

I’M SHAKING IT’S TOO HARD TO TYPE

This is horrible but I hope Keiji dies next. I don’t want any of the others to go. 

SHIN MY BELOVED

SARA DO NOT SIGN THE GODDAMN FORM I SAID ABANDON KEIJI 

Ranmaru I love you. (Very thankful he tore the form, at least the first time)

Keiji taking responsibility for his actions?? Will I regret saying I hope he dies earlier? 

The OST is a banger!

I wonder if Shin can save Keiji and he just refuses too. (This was later proven wrong.)

New Mai sprites!! I’m looking respectfully!! I KNEW HER HARMLESSNESS WAS AN ACT!! FUCK YEAH GIRLBOSS MAI!!

Am I going to turn this blog into a Ranmaru stan account? It’s looking possible. 

Cotton Candy. I’m calling him that from now on. 

Shin watching as Alice gives his speech. The game says Alishin rights! (In hindsight, I’m sad) 

When Sara said the dubious consent form I misread it as “dumbass consent form” and almost lost it. 

Getting the ID card is too easy. This is going to do something that kills Keiji, huh?

WAIT WAS MIDORI A DOLL THIS ENTIRE TIME?? FUCKING BASTARD!! I want to punch him in the throat so bad. Alice you deserved so much better than this bitch.

IF MIDORI WAS TORTURING HUMANS WHAT DID HE DO TO SHIN??

SOMEONE ASK IF SHIN’S OKAY DAMMIT!!

Midori is so done with Maple. Ew what does she mean insert. 

SARA AND MARU ENDING?? I’m kind of okay with that?? 

How much do you want to bet, Shin and Sara will end up being the two living together and having to choose who becomes a doll? The drama!!

Shin looks so disgusted to take the handkerchief. I love him. Shin is also getting braver!! Which is bad for Keiji and Sara. 

Naomichi and Shin’s fortitude isn’t women huh? 🏳️‍🌈 Just saying. 

Shin and Alice even argue like husbands

Naomichi and Anzu are literally siblings 

“Don’t associate me with him” bitch you stole his name.

NOOOO NAOMCIHI NOOOO Q-TARO

Shunsuke is gunning for the role of best Father this chapter I see

Oh shit Ranmaru’s going to snap

Gin and Alice are such a fun BROTP

Wait did Alice even shove him? Because it seems like he fell

Disappointed but not surprised the outside world is in on it

The real Sou might be alive??????

Loose his seat?? Was Sou supposed to participate? 

I’m going to hope Alice’s calmness is character development and not mind washing. 

Holy fuck I think everyone besides Sara is an agent of ASU-NARO 

I cried over Shin’s AI dammit (Cry total: 1)

Shin could only turn up the heat when Sou wasn’t there. Shin could only be comfortable when Sou wasn’t there. 

Sou might not be a member of Asu Naro?? He won’t say if he signed the form. Is the plot twist going to be Shin is the only one not an Asu Naro agent??

Shin’s into cute things and robot action figures!!

Oh wow Tia and Miley 😳

OH MY GOD AUTISTIC GIN IM ACTUALLY CRYING ITS CANON THATS SO COOL!!!

Oh fuck you Sou for taking advantage of his autism. I hate this bitch.

Oh Ranmaru is so in love with Sara (Oh count 4) 

Okay so emotion route is actually the route I’m probably going to play for now on. Sara sole survivor ending seems like how the logic route will end. While Sara will die on the emotion Route. (it’s not. Logic route is still my canon route.) 

Sara has a piece of Joe on the emotion Route but not on the logic route. She’s really going to feral.

Excuse me why did Sara just acknowledge Joe? Is she pretending to forget Joe for an advantage?? Holy fuck.

Also Shin was completely justified to be scared of Sara given what we just learned. I’m about to become a Shin apologist.

It’s interesting Naomichi seems to see through Shin

OH FUCK KEIJIS DEAD

I like this game a lot more without his “your cute “comments if I’m being honest. That weirded me out.

Oh fuck the fucking form goddammit I hate this stupid game Sara he isn’t worth this. You just sold your soul to the devil.

“Sounds good to me” 🙄

I don’t want to doubt Mai but...I’m doubting Mai.

I ship Ransara so hard. They’d be so good for each other. (This statement aged so poorly in the span of ten minutes.) 

I mentioned Soup and Shin’s Sou persona seemed to vanish. This man lost all resolve over soup.

Sara I know you don’t want to loose anymore allies but holy shit calm down.

What the hell is going on?

Why is Keiji excited about the tools??

I’m kind of shipping Maple X Mai

I HATE KEIJI MAN

I was spoiled about Alice’s death in this route before playing :(

NOT THE SHIN AI

What in the Nagito was Mai doing??

I GOT NAOMICHI KILLED AND I DON’T KNOW IF IT WAS MY FAULT OR THAT HAD TO HAPPEN

I already knew Hinako was the traitor why am I gasping

SHIN STILL CARES ABOUT THE KIDS!!

KEIJI WAS THE GUY AT THE START??

KEIJI HAS MISHIMAS HEAD (He didn’t)

Guess I’m killing Keiji

WHAT THE FUCK Q-TARO

Q-TARO WHAT THE FUCK NO NO NO NO

I’M CRYING

Q-TARO BEST DAD.

I’m not sure I ship Ransara now. Saraanzu is where the shipping lies.

If Tia told Q-Taro it was too late....was she lying and he sacrificed himself unknowingly?? Tia did lie to the group about Kanna not feeling pain as she died. So it’s not out of character. 

I love that Shin and Sara were being some what cooperative in this chapter. He’s definitely going to murder her later, but it’s nice while it lasted.

Shunsuke is the last doll standing on my route. Good. I love him. <3 

I think I like the dolls more than a lot of the participants. Oops.  

[thecrimeofmans-laughter]

@reaphantom here are my silly reasons for this theory!

• so, first of all, we have the only canon thing said about emiri harai:

Emiri Harai is satisfied at present. Extracting her will prove more difficult. / The biggest reason is the presence of the man she is considering marrying at her workplace. / If we can't win her over, there's only one thing to do. / Namely, to drive her "beloved" mad.

but shunsuke seems fairly mentally stable, so what gives? well, we also know this about the AIs in the death game:

"Before the start of the Death Game, their memories were updated every six months. The other drawback is that updating their personalities is particularly difficult and so, it is only done once every three years. As of the current Death Game, they were last updated 2 and a half years previous."

so this would provide an explanation as to why shunsuke's doll hasn't been driven mad. he would be acting as he was two years ago, not the amount of time taken to manipulate him before the death game.

• both shunsuke and emiri worked in a medical organization before ASU-NARO (he is an office worker, she is a researcher. i don't think they ever explicitly say it for her, but she would have to be in the medical field for ASU-NARO to take an interest in her)

• shunsuke's character profile says this! the woman mentioned here could be emiri

• the information about sue miley's background as emiri is only available if shunsuke is alive and can find the power cord for the computer in the fifth floor office

• shunsuke's victim video can only be found in miley's room. if you look in the window, you can also see someone connected to an iv drip, which could be him. (i mean, his head was chopped off, but she could sew it back on)

so with all of this, i wrote this theory fic where i speculated how shunsuke was driven mad and how emiri was motivated to become sue miley. but i'm not gonna put it here since it's not confirmed information, it's just coming from me :>

i have new reasons for believing shunsuke is sue miley/emiri harai's "beloved" and that's why i'm writing a part two to my theory fic yay

[ilvoloflightcrew]

On August 16th, Piero received an award from his beloved NARO.

Let’s go in order:

This message was published by Piero, I translate the words:

On August 16th evening I will have the pleasure of dedicating time to my splendid NARO: being recognized and honored, from one’s native country, is an honor that is not at all obvious.

Here are the roots, here my story is born: the houses, the alleys, the faces, with which I grew up and of which I could tell a thousand stories.

At the moment, I will tell you only one, the affection I have for my country.

All Naro waits on the beautiful staircase.

Here is the moment of Piero’s arrival.

And here is the awarding of the prize, by the mayor, very proud of our Piero.

Mayor = Meanwhile I wanted to put the institutional band, even if it is wrong (Piero rushes to fix the band), to give the official status of the institution, the solemnity of this moment, to pay our affection, our gratitude, to a great, to an international star, which is Piero. (applause)

Considering that at this moment, I do not feel I am just the mayor of Naro and its 7500 inhabitants, but I feel like the mayor of all the Naresi (inhabitants of Naro) scattered all over the world.

So I make myself an interpreter, of all the Naresi, scattered around the world, to say THANK YOU to Piero, for the emotions he always gives us. I also greet all the friends of Canicattì who are here for Piero.

I will not dwell much, but I must tell you that I am particularly excited. You saw the first part of the video (before calling Piero, they projected a video dedicated to Piero ), well, that little boy was Piero …. (to Piero) I don’t know where your grandfather is … . (Piero indicates with his hand, on the stairway). Pietro, a big hug to Pietro, to whom a family friendship, of many years, binds me.

That mayor of 10 years ago, when Piero started it all, was me.

To give you the prize, I would like to call Magda. (Magda is a small child, new promising star of Naro, Piero goes to meet Magda and kisses her.)

With the hope that in 10 years we will be here again to celebrate even Magda.

Best wishes Piero. (kisses and hugs to Piero and delivery of the prize)

I was at Piero’s house, I saw, how many plaques, how many photos with “the powerful of the world” ….. Piero, but this is the gift of NARO !!! (applause)

One last thing and I finish, a memory, when they, in the theater of Taormina, dedicated the song to their mother, and he bowed and Eleonora, beat the song’s rhythm on his leg ….. Eleonora and Gaetano, thank you for what you you have done, for believing us, for the sacrifices you have made to make him a great man.(applause, a second awarding ceremony continues, during which Vincenzo Porrello gives Piero a special gift.) 

And here is the video broadcast by local television. At the beginning Piero sings a beautiful song “NARO FULGENTISSIMA” (I think his grandfather composed it, during the video, while Piero sings, you can see his father Gaetano and his mother Eleonora, sitting on the staircase, near a white lantern.)

Mayor = For us it is a source of great pride, to celebrate 10 years of IL VOLO activity, but in particular, allow me, of our fellow citizen Piero Barone. A boy who is an international star, but who has remained a humble boy, has remained a boy devoted to his city.

I am the mayor of all the Naresi scattered in the world and for us, having Piero Barone this evening, who is the ambassador of the beauties of this city, but above all of the heart and love, of this city, can only make me absolutely happy.

Piero = My first thought, but I also think of all of you here, goes to the Bracco family, for the pain that struck them. (a young citizen of Naro, on vacation on the lake near Rome, drowned … applause).

The love I have for this country, and for our city, will never end.

Host = What do you feel for this city?

Piero= Naro, it’s me, it’s my blood. I grew up here, my whole story is here.

If it’s about my past, it’s all my grandfather’s fault, he gave me my passion for music.

When I was 8, it was he, my grandfather Pietro, who had me engraved,  “UN AMORE COSÌ GRANDE”. 

In one of those beautiful summer evenings over 10 years ago, my grandfather made my father hear that song, and from that moment, my father, stubborn as he is, every time someone came into the garage (he repaired cars), put me up on the bonnet of cars and made me sing either “GRANADA” or “UN AMORE COSÌ GRANDE”. I couldn’t take any more, every customer heard “GRANADA” or “UN AMORE COSÌ GRANDE” (Piero’s parents laugh).

In the same evening, there was the election of Miss Naro, and here is Piero photographed with all the participants.

Some shots of the evening, thanks to Il Volo Sicilia fanpage.

What a beautiful emotion Piero, to hear you sing that beautiful song dedicated to Naro.

And your words, for your city, fill every citizen with pride. 

Bravo Piero !!

Daniela

  Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

NARO, AN AWARD FOR PIERO by Daniela On August 16th, Piero received an award from his beloved NARO.

[isidroheilman-blog]

The Whole Of Spain Is Actually Inside Barcelona.

Drink Marketing, an investigation and speaking to business mentioned that in 2016, soda was hit to 2nd place when mineral water took its area as The United States's Many Popular Alcoholic beverage. But just what our experts must manage to perform is take our sizes from close enough to the mountain range and also from some elevation so we can still see the exact same base aspect on the mountain to make sure that our guideline is level, based upon a straight line-of-sight. Mountain range Bicycling - hill biking is actually a task that involves bicycling on or off street typically in shaggy and very rugged landscapes utilizing a particularly developed mtb. A side details: when speaking with the people that reside in the region I discovered it finest furthermore this story as a tale, many people I spoke to strongly feel this mountain is haunted. No mountain range vacation is actually full without your beloved refreshment after a time of snow skiing, observed through a delicious food. The complying with 10 basics are what I lug while mountain bicycling and also has actually conserved me and created my rides that much more healthy-Menblog.Info fun. Well, as a youngster, you don't understand how to perform this. However they performed it. In 1953, on the 29th of May, they were the very first pair of in order to get to the best from that mountain range. Significant mountain bicycle tend to be very significant to start with, so more weight is a valid issue.

Additionally, in addition to the clarity for the definition from steel racking as real estate, Iron Hill is now regarded rather of a hybrid as this relates to its own peer category. Each mountain range provides the advancing fatigue however an other challenge I foresee on the second one-half of this particular task will definitely produce this more difficult. When looking at obtaining a clipless style mountain bike pedal, take float and pressure flexibility right into consideration. The mountain range guide recalled just how he had actually just served lunch to a group of overseas climbers in the high height tented community when he listened to the rumble higher the incline.

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[scp-113]

thanks for the tag!! ^-^

1. NOMOTION by NARO X GLASSPVCK

2. Drift by Seiren, Top Brahman & Ina Bravo

3. Sticks And Stones by Cjbeards

4. When You & Me Dance by grabbitz

5. Bloody Nose by The Used (my beloved <3)

no obligation of course: @tulpafcker @randomcollection-o-stuff @thoughts-from-a-monster @stinkykittypet @knightish-knight @flaming-flesh-and-flowers

Rules : 🎶 when you get this, list 5 songs you’ve been listening to & tag 5-10 people.

thanks for the tag babe!! @lesbiansayaishii <3

kinikilig by bini (PPOP GIRL GROUP, PLEASE STAN!!!!)

2. pasillyo by sunkissed lola

3. i'm not okay (i promise) by my chemical romance

4. sugar, we're going down by fall out boy

5. bring me to life by evanescence

tagging: @youmaycallmecas @jaxson-v @ur-lesbian-pamaypay @apopcornkernel @theidioticcowboy @cadriona @sporkphyte and anyone else who wants to !!

[coinsandmaps-blog]

Thoughts are things – this could be the apt phrase to describe the manifestation of Saffron Stays. Fond of traveling themselves, it was on one such holiday with family that the Parulekars realized that there is a vacuum in the Indian travel scenario and a potential to be tapped in the Family Travel sector.

  Deven and Tejas Parulekar, soul mates and teammates, Saffron Stays

Coins and Maps in a chat with soul mates turned teammates Tejas Parulekar, Co-Founder, and Devendra Parulekar, Co-Founder – Growth and Technology, Saffron Stays finds that India still loves to travel with family and friends.

  L’attitude, a stunning lakefront cottage in Kamshet

The core idea behind Saffron Stays Leisure Home Network is – Where Families Bond. Just the tagline gives you an idea of what a happy, cheerful and vibrant home-away-from-home these abodes would be – ranging from heritage bungalows to luxury villas to quaint country homes and large estates, Saffron Stays is more than just an aggregator, I would say it is a curator.

              1. How did you conceive the idea of SaffronStays?

On a holiday in Europe, my husband Deven, and I realized that our kids had enjoyed their stay at a farmhouse in Spain and a château in France more than any hotel they had ever stayed in. It gave us privacy, space and most importantly, freedom to our kids to run around freely without disturbing others. An idea was thus conceived to create a discovery platform for homestays, private villas, and heritage bungalows.

While India had many beautiful homestays to offer, there was no unified platform to research, find, and book these. We wanted to provide that platform.

  Nash and Naro, lakefront luxury cottage in Pawna

        2. When and how did you begin?

  Saffron Stays was originally built to disrupt the market of renters and hotels by offering travelers a different staying experience. It was to help discover and book homestays.  We began as an aggregator in 2013 but soon realized there was an element missing.

We were approached by many homeowners who wanted us to not only operate their homes but to also market them. We realized this is a real need and a problem waiting to be solved. So we evolved to tap into a unique market – offering families luxury, heritage, and culturally rich homes.

We began with our flagship property, The Parsi Manor at Matheran which eventually led to the creation of the Saffron Stays Leisure Home Network.

  The Parsi Manor, a 120-year-old bungalow in Matheran

       3. How did you both decide to quit your well-paying jobs? What were the hardships you had to face?

  The challenge – where do we begin? Our first stumbling block was tech itself. The agency working on our website walked off the project just 2 days before our pre-launch date. We did not even have a landing page! In hindsight, it was a good thing because we managed to do it ourselves.

Not wanting to see our dreams crash, Deven – my husband, investor, and mentor in Saffron Stays – took up the challenge. Over a lot of long nights, he re-learnt coding from scratch and created the entire user-friendly website you see today.  This was during his highly demanding role as a Practice Leader for Cyber Security at Ernst & Young LLP.

  Verandah by the Valley, beautiful bungalow overlooking a Panchgani valley

The next challenge which moved us to our current pivot was the quality of the homestays itself. We realized there is no standard quality and hence travelers are often weary of booking. They feel ‘safe’ in hotels, assured of ‘quality’. However, the fact is below a 5-star hotel, the quality just plummets.

  We noticed that luxury homes/ villas are the preferred choice when families travel together. In India, we always travel in groups, cousins, office friends, school friends, parents of kid’s friends. We have numerous social circles. And we like to take short quick breaks with them. At such times, a whole bungalow or villa to your own group is a perfect idea. These insights and roadblocks helped us create the Saffron Stays Leisure Home Network you find today.

In fact, not only holidays and short breaks with families but one can also look at family get-togethers or private functions at these beautiful properties.

             4. Why and how did you decide on the name ‘Saffron Stays’?

As a spice, Saffron appeals to three out of your five senses – your sense of smell, sight, and taste. It’s something that’s familiar, something that’s intrinsically Indian and something you associate with warmth and class. It’s both comforting and classy. These are all factors that we wanted our brand to denote.

  Cliff Haven, stunning duplex apartment overlooking the Arabian Sea at Dona Paula, Goa

           5. How old is Saffron Stays and how far has been the journey so far?

  The journey has been like trying on different pairs of shoes. Some things have worked out and many things have not. As an entrepreneur, the first thing you need to tell yourself is you don’t know anything. Learn, absorb like a sponge, adapt. We have been lucky to have been mentored by the best in the industry. Our mentors have kept us grounded, and true to our cause. It’s been one thrilling 4-year journey and we know we are just at the start of it.

  Bliss, stunning pool villa in Mulshi

        6. How do you differentiate yourself from other players in the segment like Stayzilla and Oyo Rooms?

  We focus exclusively on creating The Leisure Home Network – a carefully curated collection of ancestral homes, villas, and luxury vacation homes. Often these are ancestral homes that still echo with the sound of childhood summers spent with family. Or second-homes those were built with great love and care but are now seldom used. By operating these beloved homes as vacation rentals, we prevent them from falling into disrepair and convert them into one-of-a-kind holidays.

For the traveler’s, we give families the opportunity to make fantastic memories without having to invest in a vacation home. For those who are bored of sterile hotel holidays, these luxury homes offer families the vacation they want, away from the traditional setting of a hotel or resort.

As a result, we are not only able to facilitate homeowners but also provide luxury, curated holidays for the discerning traveler.

  Kurinji Estate, cahrming heriatge villa in Kodaikanal

          7. How do you select a property to be a partner/affiliated with Saffron Stays?

  We get a lot of leads largely through word of mouth or referrals from existing homeowners or satisfied guests who’ve stayed at one of our properties.

Once we have identified a property, there is a detailed audit that we go through to assess the property. From its location to the story behind it to the upgrades required onsite, we conduct a complete analysis of the property to ensure that it meets the needs of our travelers. Once the audit is complete, we agree upon a phase-wise implementation of the upgrades (if needed) before we partner with the homeowner.

             8. How does a property gain once it is affiliated with Saffron Stays?

Most of these properties, while being built with a lot of aspiration, passion, and love, end up being a financial and emotional drain on the homeowners. This is where we as a brand come in. We help these owners monetize their properties in a sustainable way while staying true to their vision.

From handcrafted hospitality to efficient service, we ensure that we constantly cater to the discerning traveler while retaining the property’s unique character and charm. It’s a win-win for all.

Salt Rim, gorgeous beachfront villa at Alibaug

Masters Paeridaeza, a charming hometsay 45 minutes ahead of Dahanu

             9. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Over the next 5 years, we really want to take the successful story we’ve built and create a national footprint for Saffron Stays. I believe that we can build an exclusive Saffron Stays Leisure Home Network where travelers have the opportunity to stay in a luxury home-away-from-home, no matter what part of the country they’re in.

        10. How do you think the travel scene is shaping up in India?

Currently, there are an estimated 200,000 ultra-HNI families and ten times as many HNI families in India. This number is expected to double by the year 2020. A large majority of these families own vacation homes and ancestral homes, creating INR 10,000 crore blue ocean opportunity that is expected to double in five-seven years.

This is a huge market waiting to be tapped. More and more families are looking to escape boring, sterile hotel holidays by choosing curated vacations and we anticipate more players entering the vacation rentals and custom holiday’s scene.

    Inner Temple, a luxury wellness villa in Moira, Goa

      11. Where do you get most of your clients from?

  Most of the guests come to us through word of mouth or referrals. We’ve found that once a guest visits one of our properties, they keep coming back.

Mango Huts, a charming, rustic farmstay in Pali

Little Paradise, gorgeous pair of wooden beachfront cottages at Murud

       12. Which was the first property to be affiliated and how challenging/easy was it to convince the owners to be a part of Saffron Stays?

  The Parsi Manor

  When we shifted from an aggregator model to our current model in November 2015, we started with our flagship property – The Parsi Manor at Matheran – a 120-year-old British colonial-era, Parsi-owned bungalow, steeped in history. The homeowners were quite excited about the prospect of highlighting the regal heritage of the Manor and were willing to experiment. Within five months of the launch, we began managing 11 luxury homes, including two heritage homes.

To know more click here: Saffron Stays

Connect on Social Media: Facebook and Instagram

Proud to be a bootstrapped and a profitable company, Saffron Stays is growing organically and is building a ‘Make in India’ brand.

    India has always loved family travel,Saffron Stays helps you curate your luxury family holiday Thoughts are things – this could be the apt phrase to describe the manifestation of Saffron Stays.

[sou-ver-2-0]

I'm curious about your thoughts on the relevance of the Hades Incident to the Death Game. My one friend thinks that the survivor from it who wrote the journal organized it and is, in a way, trying to make Sara like the girl from it through the Death Game, which is there's such focus on her. Also, we discusses who's parallel wrote the journal: Sou's or Keiji's (since the girl=Sara, lost best friend during first vitim=Joe, Boy even younger=Gin). But I just wanna hear your thoughts on the incident

The Hades Incident, the Present Death Game, and the Role of the Man from the Memorandum

I think about the Hades Incident a lot! My thoughts are very similar to yours, Anon!

Like your friend, I have a feeling that this relationship between the Man from the Memorandum and his own High School Girl is at the heart of the Death Game.

Based on all the parallels we can draw between the past participants and the current participants, it feels like the present Death Game is an attempt to recreate the past Death Game. Assuming that the Man was the sole survivor of the past Death Game, the logical conclusion is that this recreation is his attempt to meet his beloved High School Girl again, likely by forging Sara Chidouin into her by putting her through the same trials.

The fact that all of the participants have been observed by Asu-Naro since birth also contributes to the theory that they were chosen because of their resemblance to past participants, or that they were even molded to fit the personalities of past participants.

I’m also on board with the theory that the Man is most likely Meister from Russian Roulette, since they share a similar color scheme. Meister is the first villain we meet, so it would be satisfying to bring him back as the main villain. Additionally, the Russian Roulette trial is Sara’s first step to becoming a leader, so it makes sense that the Man would want to witness it. Especially since he apparently missed Russian Roulette during the Hades Incident; he would be curious to see it with his own eyes this time.

Here are the most apparent parallel roles from the Past and Present Death Games:

“17-year-old School Girl”: Sara Chidouin

“Her Best Friend”: Joe Tazuna

“A Boy Even Younger Than Her”: Gin Ibushi

“The Man Whose Views Most Aligned with Hers”: Keiji Shinogi

“The Man from the Memorandum”: Shin Tsukimi

There are striking parallels between the Man from the Memorandum and Shin Tsukimi, but there are striking differences too. So I’d love to share a theory my friend and I have often discussed:

“The Man from the Memorandum” was first meant to be played by Original Sou Hiyori. Since Hiyori died, he was replaced by a “back-up”, Shin Tsukimi. This explains why the kidnappers would give Shin such an unusual First Trial. Shin’s First Trial fundamentally changed his personality to more closely resemble Original Sou. What if that personality change was by design?

My friend came up with this theory to explain Shin Tsukimi’s paradoxical position: he is technically a candidate qualified to win, and yet he has a zero percent chance of winning. He seems to exist as both a candidate and a non-candidate. What if—my friend suggested—Shin was originally a non-candidate, but his position was shifted to fill in Sou Hiyori’s candidacy?

Ever since they shared that theory with me, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head! It would certainly explain why Shin’s First Trial is so strange compared to the others.

The part of “The Man from the Memorandum” himself would have been an important role. Since the Man left his First Trial deciding to not trust anyone, it was likely an antagonistic role. Given this role’s difficulty and importance, could it be that Original Sou Hiyori was perhaps…trained for the part?

This also leads into my other theory that Original Sou could be Meister’s son. Original Sou was a unique candidate for the Death Game who seemed intimately involved in preparations from a young age. I’m assuming that he was about Shin Tsukimi’s age since they met in high school. While it would be scarier if Original Sou was an adult pretending to be a teenager in Shin’s school, I think it would be more compelling if he was simply the teenage son of a villain. It would go a long way to explain Original Sou’s strange dedication to Asu-Naro, in spite of him being a potential victim of the Death Game. It would also explain his uniquely serious reaction to the player trying to name him “Meister.”

It could also parallel Rio Ranger’s relationship with Gashu! There’s a moment when Shin and Sara wonder if Gashu hoped to make Rio Ranger his “successor,” but they decide that it ultimately doesn’t matter. Clearly, Rio Ranger’s life didn’t actually matter to Gashu; only the Death Game mattered to Gashu. What if this was meant to foreshadow the relationship between Meister and Midori? Personally, this is one of my favorite pet theories; it would make Original Sou a more complex character and explain some of his bizarre quirks.

Similarities between the Man and Shin

I’d like to talk some more why Shin fits the role of “The Man from the Memorandum” better than Keiji.

The first thing we learn about the Man is his confession, “In the first trial, I killed a person.” Obviously, this more directly parallels with Keiji who literally kills a person, while Shin only metaphorically kills himself. But the metaphorical suicide still counts as a parallel, since the narrative treats it so seriously. (However, I still consider this a potentially significant difference between the Man and Shin. I think it could be evidence that Original Sou would have been a better fit for the role, since Sou had a harsher personality than Shin.)

The role of “The Man Whose Views Most Aligned with Hers” can only be Keiji. Keiji is an adult man and Sara’s strongest ally. He is the voice of reason who helps Sara establish order in the group.

The roles of Keiji and Gin are still important. They are two of Sara’s closest allies. Their deaths would devastate her. And they even get to be mentioned in the book! So it’s not like Nankidai is ignoring Keiji’s significance.

The clearest and simplest parallel between the Man and Shin is that neither of them participates in Russian Roulette. Shin is even deliberately barred from participating! That’s significant! Meanwhile, Keiji is one of the most important voices in Russian Roulette so he needed to be there to help place trust in Sara.

I believe the Man’s role is an antagonistic role, since he wrote, “I would never trust others. That was what I decided.” This line fits Shin better than Keiji. Even though they are both cynical characters, Shin sets himself apart from the group, while Keiji makes himself indispensable to the group.

The relationship between the Man and the High School Girl is at the heart of the Past Death Game. Similarly, I think that the relationship between Shin and Sara is the beating heart of the Present Death Game. Their rivalry is the story’s most fundamental relationship that gives way to conflict and resolution. Even in the event that Shin dies, his presence is still felt in a major way through Kanna, Midori, and the Shin AI.

The game gives us an obvious visual parallel between the Man and Shin in the screenshot I pulled earlier. Notably, both Shin and the Man have slim frames and fluffy hair. However, the Man wears an expensive suit more similar to Midori, while Shin looks like he could have gotten his clothes while dumpster diving.

The wiki mentions another parallel, which is that both the Man and Shin change their views on the High School Girl after the Second Main Game. I agree that’s significant, although we can once again point to some obvious differences in how their views change…

Differences between the Man and Shin

Beyond the question of whether they killed someone in their First Trial, and beyond their taste in clothes, the most glaring difference between the Man and Shin is this:

The Man didn’t care about Kanna.

Not once in his Memorandum does the Man mention anyone resembling Kanna. If the Man took on an antagonistic role like I suspect, he might have acquired a minion like Kanna. However, he considers the Kanna role so insignificant that she doesn’t even merit a line. And since the Man became the victor of his Death Game, he was presumably willing to throw his minion under the bus like everyone else in order to survive. When the Man weeps at the end of his story, his tears aren’t for the loyal, vulnerable little girl; he cries for the brave High School Girl and the lost romantic relationship he desired with her.

If Shin wrote a memorandum about his experience in the Death Game, don’t you think he would have written words for Kanna? He cared so much for Kanna that he would have sacrificed himself for her.

Furthermore, while both the Man and Shin share an obsession with the High School Girl, the nature of their obsessions is different.

After the Second Main Game, the man writes that he felt that “I would be fine with my own death as long as she won it all.” That’s completely different from how Shin feels after the Second Main Game, whether Sara votes for him or Kanna.

If Sara chooses to kill Shin and save Kanna, Shin doesn’t think about Sara’s chances to “win” the Death Game at all. He’s thinking about how grateful he is that Sara—the strongest character—chose to protect the most vulnerable among them, the suicidal little girl. Shin is “fine with his own death,” but not because he wants Sara to win. He’s fine with his own death because he finally trusts Sara to make the most ethical decisions and to always protect the weak. He isn’t thinking about Sara’s life; he’s thinking about her will. He realizes that he should have trusted her from the beginning, because Shin and Emotion Sara share a commitment to protecting the vulnerable.

Likewise, if Sara chooses to kill Kanna and save Shin, Shin still isn’t thinking about anyone winning the Death Game. All he can think about is revenge. Logic Sara affirms Shin’s belief that the strong will always betray the weak. I believe that this Shin has also accepted his own future death, but he seems determined to take Miss Sara down with him, along with the Floor Masters and everyone in charge of the Death Game.

In both cases, Shin is thinking outside the box while the Man from the Memorandum could only think within the rules of the Death Game. Shin is principled in a way that the Man was not. This is another reason why I think Original Sou would have been a very different kind of antagonist than Shin, since Original Sou is presumably loyal to Asu-Naro. If I’m right, Original Sou would not be likely to think about breaking the Death Game or hoping for escape.

…

Those are my main thoughts on the Hades Incident! I could be completely wrong on some of these theories, but it sure is fun to think about. This has already gotten very long so I’ll end it here. Thank you for asking!

[sou-ver-2-0]

Do you sometimes wonder how Shin would have fared in the Death Game if he had decided not to adopt the Sou persona (who he would get along with, what he would do to help, etc)? Like, he saw how low his survival score was, but just continued on throughout the game as himself? I just crave for the True Shin AU. 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

This ask has been in my inbox for a long time, and it’s the one that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, so I’m happy to answer it on this joyous day. :)

Anon, I wonder about this all the time! What would Shin be like in the Death Game if he stayed true to himself?

I admit that I think Shin would have needed a different First Trial in order to keep his name. His canon First Trial is so poisonous that I can’t imagine him coming out of it “intact.” To view everyone’s survival rates is the kind of trial that would harshen anyone, but there are many factors that make it uniquely difficult for Shin to hold onto his self-worth. Shin is a deeply emotional person who reacts passionately before he can think logically; he has been in an abusive relationship before, which profoundly affected his views of “weak” and “strong” people; he is passionate about numbers and math; he is intelligent and attentive to details; he overthinks things; and, of course, his survival rate of 0% is the most terrifying of them all…

Don’t get me wrong; I’ll give Shin credit for his free will in choosing to abandon his name! The fact that Shin exercises so much agency in the story, even as his character is “fated” to die, is one of my favorite things about him! But I want to stress that this First Trial was uniquely difficult for Shin. Asu-Naro found the perfect way to break Shin’s own sense of self by preying on his specific weaknesses, and even mocking his strengths.

I don’t want to say it’s inevitable for Shin to abandon himself in that trial. (In fact, his kind self still resurfaces at multiple points in the story, proving that “Sou Hiyori” never killed “Shin Tsukimi” in that room after all.) What I’m saying is that Shin’s character represents a desperate person reacting to impossible structural problems. His lot in life is to be a job hopper who cannot find financial stability under late capitalism. His lot in the Death Game is that he has zero percent chance of survival. How do you adapt to an impossible structural problem like that?

I think the way you adapt depends on this question: Can you imagine yourself facing the great unknown with courage?

If we tell Shin upfront that he is “fated to die,” we reinforce his fear that he can’t trust anyone, and we reinforce his perception of himself as a weak person. We should expect him to react fearfully, and with low regard for his self-worth. At the end of his canon First Trial, Shin can’t imagine himself as a good person.

But what if Shin had a First Trial that encouraged him to trust others? That’s the kind of First Trial that Sara and Joe had. And what if Shin’s First Trial tested his cunning and ability to think fast on his feet, instead of mocking his tendency to overthink things? Then he would become more confident in his own strengths! If Shin’s First Trial was more like Sara’s, we would be encouraging him to be more open-hearted, and he could even change his perception of himself from a cowardly weakling to a brave protector.

Remember Kugie Kizuchi. Kugie parallels Shin, and she had Sara’s First Trial. Instead of reacting fearfully in her trial, Kugie was brave. She gave her life to save her little sister. Unlike Shin, who couldn’t imagine finding any courage in himself during his First Trial, Kugie mustered her courage at the start. She died, but she was the best version of herself in her final moments.

Let’s imagine that Shin still survived his First Trial, but it was the kind of trial that made him feel like the good version of himself, rather than the worst version of himself. He is open-hearted and kind instead of being closed-off and cruel. I love to imagine that he is still drawn to Sara because she seems “steadfast and strong” and he admires that about her. But this time, he isn’t afraid of her. He likely trusts Sara more than Keiji, similar to Nao. Because if you don’t know anything about the percentages, then Sara simply looks like a brave high school girl, and you can see her vulnerabilities more clearly. It would be much easier for Shin to sympathize with Sara and trust in her from the beginning.

I really love to imagine that Shin would still be drawn to Kanna. Kanna has the most vulnerable personality, and Shin feels a strong sense of solidarity with vulnerable people. If he is the best version of himself, he will always defend the most weak among them, even without knowing the survival rates.

If you show Shin his 0% survival rate at the start, of course he is going to feel like the situation is impossible and everything is beyond his control.

But if you don’t let him know about it, then Shin will feel in control of himself. And without knowing anything about his potential, he somehow always becomes the lone adult who always dies so that the children have a chance to live.

Not because Shin wants to die, like Kanna wants to die.

But because it’s the right thing to do.

I love to think that the reason Hinako, Gin, and most of all Kanna have as high survival rates as they do is because Shin—a genuinely clever and talented adult—would rather give his survival percentage points to them.

This is why I love Shin Tsukimi so much. This is why I keep writing words and words about him on this blog. I am not a hopeful person. I don’t have much faith in humanity’s ability to solve seemingly impossible structural problems.

But I do want to keep trying to do the right thing.

And this weird little anime villain with a silly scarf reminds me that I can keep trying to do the right thing, even when I think “winning” is impossible, and that’s enough.

When I started out writing this, I had more words to say, but I think this is a good stopping point. Thank you for asking me another worthy question about Shin! I like to imagine he was a beloved companion in those simulations where he remained true to himself!

[sou-ver-2-0]

out of the current cast, who do you think is most likely to be the mastermind? or do you think its someone we havent met yet? imo theres very few people who would make zero sense as the mastermind (mainly shin because he's gotten his arc + him being the mastermind would be a bit redundant, seeing as he already played the villain role) but aside from that i could see almost anyone from the group as the Big Bad

I don’t think that anyone in our main group is the mastermind, because I am most convinced by the theory that the mastermind is the Man from the Memorandum.

I think that the Man from the Memorandum became the new leader of Asu-Naro after winning the previous Death Game, and now he is hosting another one. I think he’s currently calling himself “Meister” and that he hosted the Russian Roulette challenge.

@ct-multifandom​ recently wrote an excellent post spelling out this theory right here.

I also wrote a post about my feelings on this theory here, where I tried to dig into potential parallels between Meister and Shin, and how they differ from each other.

I think it’s very likely that Meister wants Sara to win, because we know from reading the Memorandum that he was distraught that his beloved high school girl died in the first game. Now, he seems to have a “second chance” with Sara, who currently has the highest chance of winning.

Personally, I would be stunned if anyone in the main cast was revealed to be the “Big Bad,” since I’m already convinced it’s Meister. However, I am anticipating “shady plot twists” for the following characters:

1. Keiji: Keiji has been acting suspicious from the get-go. I really like the theory that he also saw the percentage papers in his first trial, because that makes for a great parallel with Shin. He definitely learned something about Sara from the beginning. We need to learn what that “something” was.

2. Gin: There are many mysteries surrounding Gin. And while he is lovable, he has been a flat character. I’m certain that there will be upcoming plot twists concerning him. However, I am hoping that Gin will be written as a pitiful pawn in a villain’s game, rather than a devious 12-year-old, since that seems a more realistic way to portray a child. (Though there’s also the chance that he is not even human, and he could be some kind of newfangled doll that bleeds.)

3. Shin: We still need to learn how he unlocked his collar! Was it because of the key necklace? Where did he get it? Was it a gift, or did he steal it? Am I completely wrong about the key necklace?? I’m honestly expecting that Shin’s past will be written sympathetically—he’ll have plenty of chances to make bad choices in the present day—but I still had to mention him!

4. Kanna: I like the theory that Kanna is likely related to Original Sou Hiyori by blood. And possibly Meister, though that’s me being wildly speculative.

5. Sara: Sara is clearly central to the Death Game, and Mr. Chidouin seems to have played a part as well. Sometimes I wonder if Sara may have lost her memories about being connected to Asu-Naro before the Death Game began, since losing memories is an ongoing issue in this story. That would make for an exciting plot twist for the player, since we would be learning about Sara’s “missing memories” at the same time she does. That’s a trope I’ve seen in other smart videogames as well. Regardless of whether Sara has missing memories or not, we need to learn more about her suspicious family.

I’m actually hopeful that all of these characters will still be written sympathetically, even if there are “shady plot twists” coming for them.

There are other fans who speculate a lot about the dummies and how suspicious they are, but I am not very good at theorizing about the dummies. We still don’t know them very well. Though again…I still have this instinct to sympathize with all of the Death Game participants, haha.

(I even have instinctive sympathy for Original Sou, since he was also supposed to be a participant. He might have been forced into that position. I’m just saying!! There’s lots of room for different shades of moral grayness in the participants.)

As I was writing this, I started thinking about how YTTD is concerned with themes of the cycle of abuse. We see this most notably in the dynamic of: Original Sou --> Shin --> Kanna.

I’m speculating that we may be able to extend that cycle to: Meister --> Original Sou --> Shin --> Kanna.

(Since Meister is at least Original Sou’s boss.)

Even with Meister—the man I’m accusing of being the Mastermind, and the person I have the least sympathy for—even he was once a Death Game participant, same as everyone else. The Man from the Memorandum was forced to suffer through the Hades Incident.

The cycle of abuse can be seen broadly in how the Death Game is repeating itself. We had one in the past, and now there’s another in the present.

And it’s even possible that the victor of this Death Game will continue to perpetuate it in the future.

[sou-ver-2-0]

Every time I start to rewatch/replay yttd, I get to the first trial and hear them say that Joe and Sara have to choose who uses the key and I just- I want to shake them by the shoulders and scream "THAT'S NOT HOW LOCKS WORK. You can't say that this is fucking Schrodinger's Lock, where what key works is decided the moment you try to unlock it!!" Sara tries to use the key for herself first and there's just awkward silence when it doesn't fit in the keyhole.

Can I just say that “Schrodinger’s Lock” is an excellent joke and I laughed so hard aahhh! *round of applause for Anon*

That’s an interesting point that I’ve never considered before, and I haven’t seen anyone else discuss either? That…maybe the key could only unlock Joe’s restraints in the beginning, and it couldn’t unlock Sara’s restraints? I definitely understand where your logic is coming from, Anon. Like, how could we possibly defend “Schrodinger’s Lock,” haha.

…

Except that aahh, I want to defend “Schrodinger’s Lock” here!!

Because I actually really like how the Bed First Trial is based on that initial choice. That one person chooses to risk dying in order to save the other person. I find that very meaningful! I especially love what it says about Kugie and Mishima’s characters, that they both chose to take that risk of dying to let their beloved younger companion use that key first, even if that means that, somehow, the Schrodinger Key won’t work on their own lock.

That seems to be the implication based on the instructions of the trial?

And note that there is only one key, so please discuss who will use it.

The instructions imply that the participants need to discuss which one of them will use the Schrodinger Key to save themselves, and which one of them will have to risk death. That’s the first major decision these characters need to make in the Death Game.

I admit that I’m not being logical to defend Schrodinger’s Key. Folks who have read my other analyses may recognize this as a recurring problem for me, haha. I really like the Percentage Papers and the AIs and the dolls and such things for emotional reasons. I like how I can use these topics to discuss themes and characterization! And now, I feel the same way about Schrodinger’s Lock.

My best defense is that Asu-Naro is a bizarre sci-fi company that can invent all sorts of wacky objects, including some Schrodinger’s Locks.

However, some of my followers may find this idea intriguing, that the Key could only work on one lock in the first place. In that case, I admit I find it odd that Joe gets the working lock instead of Sara, since Joe is a non-candidate “doomed to die,” while Sara is presumably the “strongest candidate of all.” What could that mean? Personally, one thing I’ve always liked about the First Trial is how it immediately shows that your Player Character can die. You are not safe. Even the strongest characters aren’t safe in this game. I would still like the element of choice to be there for the Bed First Trial participants, but I admit this is my personal bias showing. Thanks for pointing this out to us, Anon!